Remodeling your home provides the fun of creating a new space, shopping for new looks and the joy of fresh surroundings once you have finished. While you do need to pay close attention to the big picture like colors and textures, you also need to mind the details. One of those details is the toilet, specifically the toilet seat.
Remodeling your home provides the fun of creating a new space. While you do need to pay close attention to the big picture like colors and textures, you also need to mind the details. One of those details is the toilet, specifically the toilet seat.
Perhaps your toilet has held up well. It does not require replacing. It could use an updated look though and a new seat can provide that. Maybe you did not even know you could replace just the seat, but you can.
While your toilet will likely last an average of 10 to 15 years, your toilet seat won’t make it that long. The seats used to last longer, but the plastic bolts used today just do not last as long as old school metal bolts. That means yours could have already worn down or perhaps you moved into a new to you home and the seat seems worn. You can replace just the toilet seat and update the look and feel of the entire commode.
You’ll probably be surprised by the diversity of possibilities among toilet seats (as well as toilet brands and toilet stores). There’s a lot to choose from depending on the type of toilet, its shape, material, your bathroom’s colors and the toilet’s size. Let’s start with toilet type.
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Toilet Styles and Their Seats
Many homes only have a commode, more commonly referred to as a toilet, but some homes also have a bidet. While both fixtures have lids, their design differs slightly. Within toilets, you’ll have those with an open front or closed front on the seat. Unless you want a quirky look for your powder room, you need to make sure your two seats match. You will need to purchase a toilet seat and bidet seat/lid as a matched set. This ensures that they come in the same exact color and shade, plus they fit the fixtures you have purchased. Within the designs for either and both toilets and bidets, you have a range of shapes.
Round
A round seat and lid set will measure 16 to 17 inches from the toilet bowl’s mounting hole to front, while an oval, also referred to as an elongated, seat and lid set will measure 17 to 18 inches from the toilet bowl’s mounting hole to front. A square seat and lid set typically comes in a standard size. Square seats come in closed front design, oval and round seats you can find in both closed front and open front designs.
Round or circular seats prove the most common in home bathrooms. This traditional choice is a simple circle with no gap in front.
Open or U-Seats
Open front toilet seats are a legal requirement in public restrooms in the US. The seats resemble a “U.” The U shape provides a more hygienic choice since it protects the toilet from urine drips when men urinate. It also provides more space for an individual to wipe without their hand touching the toilet bowl or seat. Finally, it helps prevent disease spread since the individual’s genitals do not touch the seat there.
Oval (elongated)
In commercial bathrooms, oval or elongated toilet seats are the most frequently installed. These provide more sanitary conditions and are made from hearty materials like stainless steel.
Polyresin Toilet Seats
Polyresin or polypropylene seats provide a more lightweight, flexible material than plastic or wood. These also come in a range of colors and designs. These are your decorative toilet seats. If you have ever desired a see-through or clear toilet seat with fish seemingly swimming in it or a lobster hanging out or want to switch out your toilet seat seasonally or for the holidays, these are your seats and lids. Choose from Easter, Halloween, Christmas, Hannukah, Thanksgiving, and other themes. Who wouldn’t want a cartoon turkey looking up at them when they came to use the bathroom?
